An unexpected carbon dioxide insertion in the reaction of trans-2,4-disubstituted azetidine, trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine, or trans-2,6-disubstituted piperidine with diphenylthiophosphinic chloride and diphenylselenophosphinic chloride

In the reaction of trans-2,4-disubstituted azetidine, trans-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine, or trans-2,6-disubstituted piperidine with diphenylthiophosphinic chloride or diphenylselenophosphinic chloride in acetonitrile in the presence of potassium carbonate at room temperature, an unexpected carbon dioxide insertion produced carbamic diphenylthiophosphinic or diphenylselenophosphinic anhydride in good yield. The same product could be also obtained when the reaction was carried out under carbon dioxide atmosphere using potassium hydroxide or triethylamine as a base. This is a very simple reaction process related to the fixation of carbon dioxide without a metal catalyst.